THE PLOT THICKENS: WIGHTMAN-ZAYAS/CORTEZ LINK REVEALED

By Juan Montoya
After months of dissembling any relationship between himself and disbarred lawyer Robert Wightman, former Brownsville Independent School District trustee Rick Zayas is now named as Wightman's attorney of record in a defamation suit between him and Accion America president Carlos Quintanilla.
Wightman's appeals, which openly attacked Zayas' opponent (and eventual winner) Luci Longoria during the 2010 campaign and disingenuously accused her of "being in bed" with any number of people in an attempt to smear her reputation, were soundly rejected by the voters in the election.

Then, as the attacks against the new board majority continued after his candidates lost, the focus shifted to Quintanilla and his nationally recognized community-action group Accion America. Taking his well-known smear tactics against the group, Wightman has publicized his actions against them through his blog. In the latest wrinkle, he (as usual) is threatening to sue and depose everyone and his brother to make his point.

In a demand letter to an Accion America official, he lays out the now-familiar scenario so well-known to his former victims. In this case, however, the intended target (Jose Galvez) has gone to the Dallas Police and filed a complaint against Wightman.

To: Jose Galvez

Accion America
2661 Danny Lane
Farmers Branch, Texas 75234


Re: Wightman-Cervantes v. Jose Galvez dba Accion America
Currently pending in Brownsville, Texas is Zayas and Cortez vs Accion America


Dear Mt. Galvez:

Dallas County records show you and Carlos Quintanilla are the co-owners for Accion America. The records show a second filing was done also naming Margarita Lara. I spoke with the county attorney and was told the second filing may have been illegal because no withdrawal was ever filed as to the first. Legally this means you are still an owner of Accion America.

You have already been sued in Cameron County. You can contact Rick Zayas at

Zayas & Hernandez, P.C.

3100 E. 14th St.

Brownsville, Texas 78521

Unless you take appropriate action which may include filing criminal charges against Quintanilla if he changed the DBA without your approval you can be held accountable for the judgment which issues. And as I am sure you know, he has left numerous people without a remedy after a judgment issues against him.

If you are a victim you need to let us know. If you are a victim of Mr. Quintanilla you need to hire an attorney to correct the mess with the DBA. You cannot say you are a victim and not take action.
In two weeks if I have not heard from you I will initiate a Discovery lawsuit against Accion America. I will be seeking your deposition. It is certainly in your best interest to cooperate without a deposition. It is your choice.

You are the only one who knows the truth. You can voluntarily cooperate or answer the same questions in a deposition. But be advised if a judgment issues in Cameron County you could find yourself facing execution on that judgment in the case already filed by Rick Zayas and Ruben Cortez.

Sincerely,

Bobby Wightman-Cervantes

Why this action? Why now?
It is a well-known fact that Accion America is questioning the details of the contract between Zayas-owned corporation Snakre LLC and Cameron County which the group claims is gouging the county and the inmates through exorbitantly-priced goods.  http://www.carebrownsville.blogspot.com/ 

In fact, Cameron County Judge Carlos Cascos is scheduling a meeting between the group, the sheriff and county officials to determine if the complaints against Snakre can be addressed. For that, Cascos is said by Wightman to be in cahoots with Quintanilla and encouraging "corruption."

It has now become Wightman's trademark to hurl half-truths and bluster to see if he can goad action from anyone who will listen. This latest wrinkle, however, discloses the extent to which Rick Zayas and partner Rubern Cortez have "crawled in bed" with Wightman, something they have denied in the past.

It also indicates the lengths that Zayas and his partner(who also lost in the BISD elections last go-round) will go to protect the $765,732 they receive from the $926,081 spent by inmates incarcerated in the county's detention centers.

The question now becomes: To what extent will Zayas and Cortez go to protect their financial interest if in the process they become associated with smear-artist Wightman?